Wireless communication systems provide wireless access to communication services for wireless communication devices. Typically, wireless communication systems include wireless access equipment, such as base stations and associated interconnection and backhaul equipment, as a part of a wireless access system to provide the wireless access over a geographic region. The wireless access equipment is distributed throughout the geographic region and provides wireless access via individual coverage areas of the geographic region.
In many examples, wireless communication devices are mobile devices, and able to be moved throughout the geographic region of a wireless communication system. As a mobile wireless communication device moves between the individual coverage areas of a wireless access system, the wireless communication device transitions from receiving wireless access in one coverage area to receiving wireless access in another coverage area. These transitions between coverage areas are typically referred to as handoffs, and associated handoff communications are used to arrange, setup, or initiate handoff messaging before an actual handoff from one coverage area to another is performed.
Overview
What is disclosed is a method of operating a wireless communication system. The method includes determining a first round trip delay threshold to initiate handoff messaging, and determining round trip delay metrics for a plurality of handoffs in a wireless access sector. The method also includes processing the first round trip delay threshold and the round trip delay metrics for the wireless access sector to determine a second round trip delay threshold and wirelessly transferring the second round trip delay threshold to a wireless communication device in the wireless access sector, where the wireless communication device uses the second round trip delay threshold to initiate handoff messaging in the wireless access sector.
What is also disclosed is a method of operating a wireless communication device. The method includes receiving wireless access from a present sector of a wireless access system and receiving a round trip delay handoff threshold for the wireless access system. The method also includes determining round trip delays and received signal strengths of wireless communications for past handoffs of the wireless communication device. The method also includes processing the round trip delays and the received signal strengths of the past handoffs to modify the round trip delay handoff threshold, and initiating handoff communications for a present handoff from the present sector to a second sector of the wireless access system based upon the modified round trip delay handoff threshold.
What is also disclosed is a wireless communication device, where the wireless communication device is receiving wireless access from a present sector of a wireless access system. The wireless communication device includes a transceiver configured to receive a round trip delay handoff threshold for the wireless access system. The wireless communication device also includes a processing system configured to determine round trip delays and received signal strengths of wireless communications for past handoffs of the wireless communication device and process the round trip delays and the received signal strengths of the past handoffs to modify the round trip delay handoff threshold. The processing system is also configured to initiate handoff communications for a present handoff from the present sector to a second sector of the wireless access system based upon the modified round trip delay handoff threshold.